The Hunting of the Snark facts for kids
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Cover of first edition
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| Author | Lewis Carroll |
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| Illustrator | Henry Holiday |
| Cover artist | Henry Holiday |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Nonsense poetry |
| Publisher | Macmillan Publishers |
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Publication date
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29 March 1876 |
| OCLC | 2035667 |
| Text | The Hunting of the Snark at Wikisource |
The Hunting of the Snark (An Agony in 8 Fits) is a famous poem by the English writer Lewis Carroll. It is known as a nonsense poem, which means it uses silly words and ideas to create a funny story. Carroll wrote it between 1874 and 1876. The poem shares its setting and some strange creatures with his earlier poem "Jabberwocky". That poem was in his children's book Through the Looking-Glass (1871).
The story is about a group of ten characters who go on a hunt for a mysterious creature called the Snark. They worry that the Snark might turn out to be a very dangerous Boojum. One of the hunters finds the Snark but then suddenly disappears. This makes the narrator realize it was a Boojum after all. Carroll dedicated the poem to a young girl named Gertrude Chataway. He met her in 1875 at a beach town called Sandown on the Isle of Wight.
The Hunting of the Snark was published in the United Kingdom in March 1876. Macmillan released it with pictures by Henry Holiday. People had different opinions about the poem, finding it quite strange. The first printing had 10,000 copies. It was reprinted many times, showing how popular it became. Lewis Carroll often said he didn't know what the poem truly meant. However, he once agreed that it could be about searching for happiness. Henry Holiday, the artist, thought the poem was a "tragedy." Today, people still discuss what the poem means. It has inspired many other works, including musicals and plays.
Contents
The Story of the Snark Hunt
Where the Adventure Happens
The Hunting of the Snark takes place in the same imaginary world as Lewis Carroll's poem "Jabberwocky". That poem was in his book Through the Looking-Glass. Eight funny words from "Jabberwocky" also appear in The Hunting of the Snark. These include bandersnatch, beamish, frumious, and jubjub. Carroll once described the Snark's home as "an island frequented by the Jubjub and the Bandersnatch." He said it was probably the same island where the Jabberwock was defeated.
Meet the Hunters
The hunting crew has ten members. Their names all start with the letter B:
- A Bellman: He is the leader of the group.
- A "Boots": He is the only crew member without a picture.
- A maker of Bonnets and Hoods: This person makes hats.
- A Barrister: He helps solve arguments among the crew.
- A Broker: He can guess the value of things the crew owns.
- A Billiard-marker: This person is very skilled at billiards.
- A Banker: He holds all the money for the crew.
- A Butcher: He can only kill beavers.
- A Beaver: This animal makes lace and has saved the crew many times.
- A Baker: He only bakes wedding cakes. He often forgets his things and even his own name, but he is very brave.
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The Bellman, the leader of the hunt.
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The maker of Bonnets and Hoods.
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The Barrister, who settles arguments.
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The Broker, who values items.
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The Billiard-marker, very skilled.
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The Banker, who carries the money.
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The Butcher, who only kills beavers.
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The Baker, who bakes wedding cakes.
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The Beaver, who makes lace.
The Hunt Begins
The hunting party crosses the sea, guided by the Bellman's map. His map is just a blank piece of paper! They arrive in a strange land. The Bellman then tells them five ways to recognize a Snark. He also warns them that some Snarks are very dangerous Boojums. When the Baker hears this, he faints.
After he wakes up, the Baker remembers his uncle's warning. If the Snark is a Boojum, the hunter will "softly and suddenly vanish away, and never be met with again." The Baker admits this possibility scares him a lot.
The hunt begins with great effort:
They sought it with thimbles, they sought it with care;
They pursued it with forks and hope;
They threatened its life with a railway-share;
They charmed it with smiles and soap.
During the hunt, the Butcher and the Beaver, who were once wary of each other, become good friends. This happens after they hear the cry of a Jubjub bird. The Butcher even teaches the Beaver about math and animals. Meanwhile, the Barrister falls asleep. He dreams of a court trial where a pig is accused of leaving its home. A Snark acts as the pig's lawyer in his dream.
Later, the Banker is attacked by a Bandersnatch. He loses his mind after trying to bribe the creature.
The Baker runs ahead of the group. He shouts that he has found a Snark! But when the others arrive, he has mysteriously disappeared.
They hunted till darkness came on, but they found
Not a button, or feather, or mark,
By which they could tell that they stood on the ground
Where the Baker had met with the Snark.
In the midst of the word he was trying to say,
In the midst of his laughter and glee,
He had softly and suddenly vanished away—
For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.
See also
In Spanish: La caza del Snark para niños
